Suspenders.



No. 725,437. PATBNTED APR. 14, 190s. M. GLUGKAUF.

SUSPENDBRS. APPLIoATIoN FILED JAN. 31, 1903.

l0 MODEL. v

. NITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE.

MORRIS GLUOKAUF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 725,437, dated April 14,11903.

Application filed January-31. 1903. Serial No. 141,264. (No model.) l d To ctZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, MORRIS GLUOKAUF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Suspenders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of Suspenders which are adaptable for use as a belt when occasion may demand.

The purpose of the invention is to so construct asuspender of the class mentioned that the web constituting the shoulder-straps will not only be in one piece, but to provide an especial 4construction of back-plate which will holdthe continuous shoulder strap or web so that a member will be in position over each shoulder and so that where the web or strap passes over the back plate the susponder will be flat and comfortable at such point.

Another purpose of theinvention is to construct hookfand-keeper terminals for the ends of the shoulder straps or webs, which serve the dual purpose of a buckle for the shoulder strap or web when used as av belt and as means for connecting the front suspender-ends with the shoulder straps or webs, said hooks and keepers being so formed that when connected with the front suspender-ends they will be practically concealed in the button -loops through which the suspender-ends pass and have play. Y

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a suspender of the class describedwhich will be comfortable when worn as a suspender and readily adjustable as'to' length and which may be quickly and conveniently converted into a belt and as expeditiously and effectually reconverted into a suspender.

The invention consists in the novel con-k struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully ser forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a suspender constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the backplate in elevation and the'shoulder web or strap in section at each side of the back-plate and a portion of the rear suspender-end in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa sectional edgeview of one terminal of the shoulder strap or web, the button-loop for the front suspender-end, and the connection between the said terminaland the said button-loop. Fig." 5 is an edge view of the opposite end ofthe said shoulder strap or web and the button-loop used in connection therewith, together with a sectional View of the connecting medium between these two parts; and Fig. `6 isa perspective view of the shoulder strap or web in belt form.

The body of thel Suspenders consists of a tape, web, or strap A, which may be elastic or non-elastic, as desired, and this body-strap A is in one piece and is adapted to be crossed at the back, so that the end portions of said strap or web may be carried one over each shoulder, and the crossing at the back is effected through the medium of a back-plate D, to be hereinafter particularly described.

At each end of the body strap or -tape A a loop 10 is formed through the medium of a take-up A o'f any suitable or approved construction, and in connection with the terminals of the body strap Vor web A what I term a buckle B is employed, and this buckle consists of two members-namely, a latch member 11 and a keeper member 12, and the members of the .said buckle are connected -with the terminal loops 10 of the said body web or strap A. i

The latch member 11 of the buckle B, as is particularly shown in Fig.` 4, consists of a plate having a transverse slot 13 therein, through which the loop-section 10 at one end of the body strip lor web'A passes, and atthe llower` edge of the said plate a hook 14 is formed at the inner face of the plate, as is also best shown in Fig. 4.

The keeper-section 12 of `the buckle B is adapted for connection with the opposite end of the body web or strap A andconsists of a plain plate having atransverse slot 15 therein near its lower edge, through which slot the loop-section 10 of the said terminal of the body strap or web A passes, as is illustrated in Fig. 5. The slot 15 is made so near the ICO bottom edge of the plate constituting the keeper-section 12 of the bucklein order that the hook of the latch-section l1 of the buckle when passed through the said slot 15 will receive the lower bar produced by the said slot in said keeper-plate, as is shown in Fig. 6, thus providing an effective union between the two sections of the buckle when the body strap or web A of the suspender is to be used as a belt, as is shown in Fig. G.

- A button end 16 of the usual type is provided for each end of the body web or strip A, and the said button ends are connected with the end portions of the body strap or web A through the medium of connecting button-loops C of any approved type. As shown, these connecting button-loops C are made of a iiexible material and comprise a back member 17, bent upon itself at the bottom to form an eye 18, and a front loop member 10, the front loop member 19 and the back member 17 of a connecting button-loop C being detachably connected one to the other by means of any approved type of separable button 20.

The upper portions of the connecting button-loops O are passed, respectively, through the slots 13 in the latch-section 11 of the buckle B and the slot 15 of the keeper-section 12 of the said buckle.

In connection with the body strap or web A, as has been stated, I employ a back-plate D, which may be of any suitable material. Preferably,however,metal is employed. This back-plate D is dat at the front and at the rear,and may be made quite thin,if so desired. The side edges 21 of the back-plate D taper from a point near the upper edge of the said plate downward and inward in direction of each other, whereby the said side edges 21 are more or less inclined, and the said backplate D terminates at its lower end in an eye 22, produced in a lower extension from the said plate, as is best shown in Fig. 2. This eye 22 is pivotally connected by a sleeve 24 with a horizontal metal loop 23 of any approved type, adapted for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. Near the upper edge of the said back-plate D at each side a hook 25 is formed, and these hooks extend downward, following the inclined side edges 21 of the said back-plate, and in the further construction of the back-plate D horizontal hooks 26 are formed at the front of said plate, being offset therefrom, and the hooks 26 extend in direction of each other. The side hooks 25 may be termed directing-hooks and the upper hooks 26 may be properly designated locking-hooks.

Vhen the body strap or web A is to be used as Suspenders, the web or strap is doubled to find the center, and the central portion of said strap or web A is then placed with its inner face outward against the back of the backplate D. The said strap or web A is then forced upward, so that it will enter the spaces between the side hooks 25 and the inclined side edges 21 of the back-plate D. These hooks hold the web or strap in position, but mainly serve to direct the strap or web as it is folded upon the outer face of the back-plate. In producing this fold, which is best shown in Fig. 1, one end of the strap or web is carried, for example, to the left, and its edges are made to pass beneath the two locking-hooks 26. Thus this portion of the strap 0r web A is made to pass diagonally across the plate D and is held in such position by the lockinghooks 26 and is adapted to pass over the left shoulder of the wearer of the Suspenders. The other end of the strap or web A is then made to cross that portion of the strap already locked in position on the back-plate D, being carried to the right to form a member to be carried over the right shoulder, and the strap which is given the second fold crosses that portion of the strap first folded and is likewise made to enter the space under the locking-hooks 26, whereupon the body strap or web A will have the appearance shown in Fig. 1, and the single body strap or web A will have been so locked and shaped by the back-plate D as to provide two divcrging members,one adapted to pass over each shoulder of the wearer.

At the back of the Suspenders a single strap E is employed, which provided with a suitable take-up 27 is passed through the metal loop 23, pivotally attached to the back-plate D, and at the lower end of this back-strap E a loop 28 is formed, through which the rear button end 29 is passed, as is shown in Fig. 1. Under this construction of the suspenders it will be observed that where the fold is produced in the one-piece body strap or web A the material folded is perfectly tlat and conforms in every particular to the shape of the back-plate D. Therefore the Suspenders may be worn with perfect comfort.

When the strap or webAof the Suspenders is to be used as a belt,the front ends 16 are disconnected from the terminals of the strap or web, exposing the latch and keeper members 11 and 12. The strap or web A is then disconnected from the back-plate D by simply drawing the strap or web from engagement with the hooks 25 and 26, whereupon by operating the take-ups A on the said web or strap A the latter may be adjusted to suit the waist measurement required, and the belt thus formed can be quickly fastened in place by causing the latch-section 11 at one end of the strap or web to engage with the keepersection 12 at the opposite end of the strap or web, thus forming a complete belt, as is illustrated in Fig. 6. 4

The button ends need not necessarily be removed from the trousers and, if desired, while the belt is worn may be tucked inside out of sight. It is evident also that when the Suspenders are again required the bodysection Amay be quickly and readily connected with the button ends.

Having thus described my invention, I

IOO

IlO

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In Suspenders, a back-platerhaving tapering side edges, side directing-hooks following the taper of the side edges, and upper front locking-hooks offset from the front portion of the plate, for the purpose described.

2. In Suspenders, a back-plate having its side edges tapered downward and inward, hooks at the upper side edges of said plate, following the inclination of the said side edges and extending downward, and horizontal hooks offset from the front face of the plate at the top, which upper offset hooks extend in direction of each other, for the purpose set forth.

8. In Suspenders, atapering back-plate having means for attachment toaback-strap and provided with side and front hooks, the side hooks being at an angle to the front hooks, all for the purpose described.

4. InV Suspenders, a body strap having looped ends, a keeper-plate loosely mounted at one end, and a latch-plateloosely mounted at the opposite end adapted for engagement with the keeper-plate, button-loops passed through openings in the plates, which plates are substantially concealed by the said button-loops, and button ends passed through 3o the said button-loops, as described.

yset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5. In Suspenders, the combination with a single back-strap, a button end connectedI therewith, a back-plate connected with the said back-strap, `which back-plate is provided with downwardly and inwardly inclined side edges, downwardly-extending hooks at the upper portions of the said side edges, following the inclination of the side edges, and horizontal hooks offset from the front face 'of .the plate at the top, of a body-strap which is bent around the said back-plate in engagement` with its tapering side edges,entering the space .between the side edges and the side hooks,

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v AMORRIS GLUCKAUF. Witnesses:

J. FRED. ACKER, JAS. F. MoLLoY. 

